Bill Nelson: “we have another potential economic devastation in the State of Florida. Lo and behold, major league baseball has voted…”

“we have another potential economic devastation in the State of Florida. Lo and behold, major league baseball has voted to eliminate two teams. The media reports suggest that four teams are on the short list of those that might be dissolved. Lo and behold, two of the four are from Florida--the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays--and the other two that are on the list of four are the Montreal Expos and the Minnesota Twins. If any of the four teams currently under consideration for elimination are dissolved--any of those four--the impact to Florida would be significant. Doing so, especially without input from the communities and the regions where the teams are based, would be a mistake. Baseball made promises to communities in my State that were relied upon by individuals who then built businesses and other assets around the teams. Both Miami and Tampa Bay have invested millions of dollars and years of sweat equity in their teams. Hotels, restaurants, concession vendors, and other hospitality companies, already reeling from the September 11 tragedy, stand to take staggering losses if baseball fails to honor its obligations. Yet the league has completely shut them out of the process, keeping everyone in the dark. The owners got together and made these decisions. They didn't reach out to the communities and get their input.”